John 7:36

7:31-36 The discourses of Jesus convinced many that he was the Messiah; but they had not courage to own it. It is comfort to those who are in the world, but not of it, and therefore are hated by it and weary of it, that they shall not be in it always, that they shall not be in it long. Our days being evil, it is well they are few. The days of life and of grace do not last long; and sinners, when in misery, will be glad of the help they now despise. Men dispute about such sayings, but the event will explain them.

What manner of saying is this that he said,.... It is not easy to be understood; and if that is not meant, which is suggested, what should he mean by saying, ye shall seek me, and shall not find me, and where I am, thither ye cannot come? repeating the words of Christ just now expressed by him.

John 7:36 . Οὗτος ὁ λόγος , this saying ) They the more readily retain in memory His saying, as moulded in rhythm. Comp. ch. John 16:17 , The disciples, “What is this that He saith unto us, A little while, and we shall not see Me, and again a little while, and ye shall see me; and because I go to the Father.”

(36) What manner of saying is this . . .?— We get a better sense by omitting the words in italics, and reading, “What saying is this . . .?” Their scorn does not solve their difficulty, and gives place to wonder. They feel His words cannot mean what they have said. “What, then, do they mean? What is the force of His saying?”

The dispersed among the Gentiles - To the Jews scattered among the Gentiles, or living in distant parts of the earth. It is well known that at that time there were Jews dwelling in almost every land. There were multitudes in Egypt, in Asia Minor, in Greece, in Rome, etc., and in all these places they had synagogues. The question which they asked was whether he would leave an ungrateful country, and go into those distant nations and teach them. Gentiles - In the original, Greeks. All those who were not Jews were called Greeks, because they were chiefly acquainted with those pagans only who spake the Greek language. It is remarkable that Jesus returned no answer to these inquiries. He rather chose to turn off their minds from a speculation about the place to which he was going, to the great affairs of their own personal salvation.

Verse 36. - What is this word ( λόγος ) which he spake, Ye shall seek me, and ye shall not find (me), and where I am, ye cannot come? This verse is simply a repetition of the Lord's sentence, which, notwithstanding their damaging interpretation and unconscious prophecy of great events, haunted them with a weird power, and left them, as his word left the officers who were silenced and paralyzed by it, with a sense of undiscovered and awful meaning. Both here and in ver. 45 we see that the evangelist had access to the ideas and converse of the "Jews," which proves that he had special sources of information to which the ordinary synoptic tradition was strange. The thought grows upon one that John was more than the mere fisherman of the lake. He was a friend of Nicodemus, and known to Caiaphas. It is clear that some further time elapses. This conversation, of which we have the prominent items, the chief utterances, was producing its effect upon the two-sided multitude, upon "the Jews," the "Pharisees," the city party, the chief priests. The Lord probably retired once more to the house of Lazarus or of John. John 7:36

[Bible] 7:27. But we know this man, whence he is: but when the Christ cometh, no man knoweth, whence he is. 7:28. Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying: You both know me, and you know whence I am. And I am not come of myself: but he that sent me is true, whom you know not. 7:29. I know him, because I am from him: and he hath sent me. 7:30. They sought therefore to apprehend him: and no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come. 7:31. But of the people many believed in him and said: When the Christ cometh, shall he do more miracles than this man doth? 7:32. The Pharisees heard the people murmuring these things concerning him: and the rulers and Pharisees sent ministers to apprehend him. 7:33. Jesus therefore said to them: Yet a little while I am with you: and then I go to him that sent me. 7:34. You shall seek me and shall not find me: and where I am, thither you cannot come. 7:35. The Jews therefore said among themselves: Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles and teach the Gentiles? 7:36. What is this saying that he hath said: You shall seek me and shall not find me? And: Where I am, you cannot come? 7:37. And on the last, and great day of the festivity, Jesus stood and cried, saying: If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. 7:38. He that believeth in me, as the scripture saith: Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 7:39. Now this he said of the Spirit which they should receive who believed in him: for as yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. 7:40. Of that multitude therefore, when they had heard these words of his, some said: This is the prophet indeed. 7:41. Others said: This is the Christ. But some said: Doth the Christ come out of Galilee? 7:42. Doth not the scripture say: That Christ cometh of the seed of David and from Bethlehem the town where David was? 7:43. So there arose a dissension among the people because of him.